Associated Press
LONDON ó A person familiar with a new round of drug tests from the Beijing Olympics says two medalists were among six athletes who turned up positive when their blood samples were rechecked.
The person tells The Associated Press the tests nabbed three track and field athletes, two cyclists and one weightlifter. The person also says one of the track and field athletes is a male gold medalist.
The names haven’t been officially released by the IOC.
CYCLING
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. ó Lance Armstrong will compete in the Tour of the Gila after all, the seven-time Tour de France champion’s first race since breaking his collarbone in a crash last month.
Armstrong and Astana teammates Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner will be allowed to compete at this week’s event after USA Cycling reached an agreement with the International Cycling Union.
RACING
INDIANAPOLIS ó Dick Vitale was announced as this year’s Indy 500 Festival Parade grand marshal.
– ABINGDON, Va. ó A federal judge in Virginia has handed an 18-month prison sentence to a co-founder of Morgan-McClure Motorsports who the government said accepted bags of cash to avoid taxes. The government said Larry Allen McClure was also ordered to pay more than $125,000 in restitution, fines and investigative costs.
– INDIANAPOLIS ó The oldest former Indianapolis 500 driver has died at age 92. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway says Danny Kladis died Sunday in Joliet, Ill.
Kladis began racing midgets in 1935 and, after flying with the Army Air Corps during World War II, made his only start at Indianapolis in 1946. He finished 21st.
– WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. ó Florida officials say a mineral overdose is the probable cause of death for 21 polo horses that fell ill as they prepared for a championship match earlier this month.
HORSE RACING
LOUISVILLE, Ky. ó Kentucky Derby contender Square Eddie is out with a reoccurrence of a shin problem that hindered his training over the last three months.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ó Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin says overdue back surgery couldn’t keep his dad, defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, out of action for long.
Kiffin’s 68-year-old father had surgery a few days ago and was back at work Monday despite being told by doctors to take a week off.
GOLF
SHANGHAI, China ó The HSBC Champions in China has been elevated to a World Golf Championship this year with a new qualifying criteria and a $7 million purse, the highest ever for a golf tournament in Asia.
Tiger Woods already has said he will play, along with Sergio Garcia.
WNBA
NEW YORK ó After leading the U.S. women to a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, Anne Donovan has been hired as an assistant coach with the New York Liberty. She was 112-100 as a WNBA head coach with Charlotte and Seattle.
BASEBALL DRAFT
NEW YORK ó Major League Baseball’s amateur draft is shifting to prime time. This year’s draft will start at 6 p.m. on June 9 and be held at the studios of the MLB Network in Secaucus, N.J.
There will be 111 picks on the first day, which includes the first three rounds mixed in with two compensation rounds.
Rounds 4-30 are scheduled tentatively for June 10, with the remaining 20 rounds the following day.
TENNIS
ROME ó The WTA Tour says Maria Sharapova will miss next week’s Italian Open and the Madrid Open the following week as she recovers from shoulder surgery.
* BUENOS AIRES, Argentina ó Former French Open finalist Guillermo Coria retired at age 27.
SOCCER
NEW YORK ó Another soccer tournament in Mexico has been disrupted by concerns over the swine flu.
CONCACAF announced it is postponing its beach soccer championship, scheduled to begin today in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The decision comes a day after CONCACAF canceled the remainder of its under-17 championship and rescheduled the second leg of its Champions League finals.